Burnaby NOW will be publishing candidate Q&As for each candidate leading up to the City of Burnaby byelection scheduled for June 26, 2021. The answers provided have not been altered or changed.
Mike Volkow hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father, Nick Volkow, who died in 2020 after a long battle with cancer.
QUESTION: When did you decide to run for the City of Burnaby byelection?
ANSWER: I decided to run about six months before my father passed away.
QUESTION: Why did you decide to run in the City of Burnaby byelection?
ANSWER: I decided to become a candidate to continue what my father has done for over two decades, which is give a voice for the blue collar, working class citizens of Burnaby. In addition to that, I have the same love and respect for Burnaby as he did, and I don't want to see what he has worked hard for be erased or forgotten. His former party was the first to do just that.
QUESTION: What do you think is needed on city council the most? What do you think it’s missing/lacking?
ANSWER: What council needs is someone who actually makes up their own mind, and puts the interest of the citizens first. Not the interest of their party guidelines first.
Before the BCA decided to throw its leader under the bus, my father was already viewed as an independent among them. He voiced his concerns and didn't just vote how they wanted him to.
If the 2 BCA candidates are elected, they will just do as they are told, or they will be thrown under the same bus.
I believe the same goes for the Green candidates.
QUESTION: Do you think there needs to be more diversity when it comes to Burnaby’s municipal government? If so, why?
ANSWER: I do believe council needs more diversity. It needs to reflect the city's various backgrounds.
Currently there is no one under the age of 50, therefore lacking the representation of citizens from my generation.
Also, having Metis status, I bring a much-needed voice that no current councillor or candidate has.
QUESTION: What issues do you think need to be tackled the most in Burnaby?
ANSWER: There are many issues the city is facing, housing/rental housing, property taxes, transportation (sidewalks, speed limits, crosswalk safety ), environmental impact, and its budget.
QUESTION: Why should voters vote for you?
ANSWER: Voters should vote for me if they support what I support. Which is:
- No more rezoning for towers, no more rezoning of industrial/commercial land for residential land
- Absolutely no rezoning to allow condos where single dwellings used to be ( i.e. Cabbie St. in Vancouver)r
- Allow more rezoning of single lots to duplex lots
- Designate a large percentage of new developments for Co-op housing
- Put an immediate freeze on all property taxe increases, devise a new more accurate way to tax a property other than an overinflated outrageous property assessment
- Remove all parking meters from around Burnaby hospital, and look to remove many more with public consultation, and to drop all fees by 50%
- Speed up the construction plan for sidewalks, without charging the citizens who need them
- Retrofitting all city facilities with solar panels, and heat pumps to reduce environmental impact
- Creating a large city paid subsidy for all youth sports programs so every child has a chance to participate
If these changes are something a voter would like to see happen, they should vote for me. If not, vote for someone else.
QUESTION: What would you say to those who may not want to vote or don’t really see a point?
ANSWER: To those who don't want to vote or don't see a point, I would ask why not?
It is a right, that is a privilege. It takes just as long as standing in line for coffee, or completing an online survey...
If someone decides not to vote, they shouldn't have an opinion then.
